Crate



(No Model.)

' M. B. HOAG.

(IRATE.

' No. 402,826. Patented May 7, 1889.

NITED STATES I ATENT Fries.

MARBLE B. HOAG, OF MECKLENBURG, NEV YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,826, dated May '7, 1889.

Application filed January 26, 1889. Serial No. 297,581. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARBLE B. HOAG, aciti=- zen of the United States, residing at Mecklenburg, in the county of Schuyler and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Crates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of crates which are used principally for packing fruits, vegetables, and other articles of a perishable nature for transportation, and which are constructed of slats arranged'some distance apart, so as to admit of the free passage of air; and the invention has for its object to provide a crate having its sides, bottom, and ends c011- structed wholly of slats and provided with interiorbraces,whereby said slats are connected and the construction strengthened.

The invention further consists in so constructing the crates, with regard to dimensions, that they may be conveniently packed together for transportation, when empty, in such a manner as to economize space, all as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a packing-crate embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is aview showing a set of three crates packed together for trans portation, and Fig.4 is a detail perspective view of one end'of the crate.

The same letters refer to the same parts in all the figures.

A A designate the bottom slats, B B the side slats, and O O the end slats, of my improved crate. The ends of the bottom slats are secured, preferably by means of nails, to the under side of horizontal cleats D D, which thus serve to connect the said bottom slat-s. To the outer sides of the cleats D are nailed the lowermost end slats, O, the ends of which may also be nailed to the vertical end cleats, E E, the lower ends of which are beveled or mitered and abut against the ends of the cleats D, which are likewise mitered, so as to form a neat joint. The end slats, O, and the side slats, B, are nailed to the sides of the cleats E, and the ends of the side slats are extended over the ends of the end slats, so as to be flush with the outer sides of the latter. For additional security the ends ofthe side slats may also be nailed to the ends of the end slats, or they may, if preferred, be seen red to the latter alone without attaching them to the cleats E.

The cleats D and E are beveled 011 their innor sides, as shown in the drawings, so as to occupy less room and so as to avoid any sharp edges or corners, whereby the contents of the crate might be injured.

The dimensions of my improved crates are so proportioned that the length, inside measure, between the cleats shall be equal to the width, outside measure, the width, inside measure, shall be equal to the height, outside measure, while the height, inside measure, shall be one-half the length, outside measure. By thus proportioning the crates they'maybe nested or packed together, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, one crate being placed between or within two others, thus economizing space. I11 making the crates they are also preferably constructed of a size to hold a certain quantity-say one bushel-for the convenient measurement of the goods shipped therein.

By the improved construction herein described the sides, ends, and bottom of the crates may be constructed wholly of slats in such a manner as to be durable and sufficiently strong to stand the rough handling to which they are frequently exposed, especially when empty. It will also be seen that by the method of packing the empty crates together,

as herein described, the two outer crates will protect the inner one from damage, while the inner one will brace the bottom and side slats of the outer ones, which are most liable to be injured by careless handling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A packing-crate composed of two end frames, each comprising one horizontal and two vertical cleats beveled on their inner faces and having their adjacent ends mitered together, in combination with the side, end, and bottom slats nailed to the outer faces of said cleats and thereby connected to form the body of the crate, substantially as set forth.

2. A nest of three packing-crates of equal size and constructed of longitudinal side and In testimony that I claim the foregoing bottom and transverse end slats secured to my own I have hereto affixed my signature '1 n substantially V-shaped end frames, one of presence of two Witnesses.

said crates being placed between or Within 5 the two others, with the ends of the inner MARBLE l3. HOAG.

crate bearing against the bottoms of the outer crates and the bottom and top edge of thein- \Vitnesses: nor crate bearing; against the sides of the SENECA 1VIORG-AN, outer crates, which are thereby braced and S. A. l'lOVIflNCAhll".

1o strene'thoned, subsimitiatlly as set forth. 

